15th--16th Month Update

Tori's 15 th month proved to be another busy month filled with lots of new experiences and visitors. Tori took a week of swimming lessons in which she practiced kicking, splashing, and blowing bubbles. She has no fear of the water and, much to my chagrin, prefers drinking the water than blowing bubbles or spitting it out :). Tori also had her first dentist checkup. Besides being a little surprised by the full set of teeth, the dentist thought everything looked great. She confirmed that the last of Tori's incisors were breaking through. Only the 2nd year molars left !!! She had her GI visit, but they did not find anything wrong :) This month Tori also got to try out all her farm animal noises on real animals at a farm in North Charlotte. She loved it!


Tori also got to visit with her Jui Jui (Uncle) Kyle two weekends this month. We spent the first weekend in Charlotte with Gram and Pappa and the second in Hickory. She had a blast :) The following weekend Gram and Poppie came to visit! What an exciting month :)


Here are some pictures:

All eyes on Tori :) She is playing with her Fisher Price barn silo that Jui Jui Kyle and Mommy played with many years ago. We took the hospital, circus, house, and automobile garage sets for her to play with and there are still 2 boxes filled with other Fisher Price sets in Gram and Pappa's attic. I think Kyle and I must have had them all :)

Tori patting Gram's leg :) She loves playing at the steps. It is the perfect height for a seat and table!

Jui Jui Kyle and Tori!

Taking Tori for a tricycle walk around the neighborhood....her favorite!

Daddy reading Tori a story :)

Tori reading the book herself :)

Pappa giving Tori a bath. They sounded like they were having so much fun I grabbed the camera and went up to see what was going on!

Looking out the window...so cute!

Playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie. Tori was not sure what to think :)

Gram and Jui Jui Kyle putting on a puppet show! Sammy thought it was great. Tori was not so sure at first, but she eventually decided it was pretty neat and now she wants to play with them constantly:)

Daddy and Tori pointing...Dat, dat, dat?

All ready for swimming :)

Jui Jui Kyle and Tori playing with her magnetic animal farm.

Tori entertaining us at a BBQ restaurant in Hickory.

High Five!

Pappa and Tori rocking after dinner.

Jui Jui Kyle feeding Tori raspberries. She was a fan :)

Tori being attacked by the Daddy tickle monster.

Mommy and Daddy saying goodbye to Tori so we can enjoy a Cirque-du-soleil performance and a yummy anniversary dinner at Capital Grill. What a lucky Mommy!

Just the right size.

Grandma and Tori :)

Grandma and Poppie playing ball with Tori. She is a great catcher!

Poppie and Tori reading together :)

Grandma entertaining Tori after a dinner.

Tori being so ladylike in her traditional Chinese dress from Jui Jui Kyle.

Shhhhh :)

Love the pose!

Spaghetti! Yum Yum :)

Tori and Mommy hiking at Latta Plantation before going to the farm.

Gram hiking with Tori!

Gram and Tori at the Nature Museum.

Gram and Tori bird watching :)

The Farm: Tori got so excited and was hilarious talking to all the animals. It was a blast!

First stop was the rooster and chicken coop. The rooster put on quite a show and Tori and the rooster "cock-a-doodle-doed/cocked" back and forth. I wish I had it on video :)

The cow would not moo for us at first, even with Tori mooing at it. Then one of the farm workers decided to put on a show for us and chased the cow around with a lasso....we got to hear lots of moos!

Tori got to see sheep, goats, and pigs as well. It was an amazing first farm experience. I think the zoo is in the near future :)

Tori enjoying a snack of cheerios and milk as Soco anxiously watches :)

14th-15th Month Update

This 14th month was extremely busy. One weekend Daddy watched Tori as I went to the beach with my college roomates (What a sweet husband/father :)) and I think both Daddy and Tori had a great time! The following two weekends the whole family went to the beach to Grandma and Poppie's for the 4th of July. Tori got to visit with her Great Pappa, Ethel, and Auntie Leah. Unfortunately, her bottom insisors started breaking through after a couple days there and she became a very needy, fussy little girl (not the sweet angel I had been bragging about). Even fussy, we had a great visit. Tori had her first real beach experience and was a big fan. She loved the feel of the water as it goes back to the ocean and tries to take her with it :). She also loved running on the beach and making sand castles. Tori also had her first mini golf and sailing adventures as well as several trips to the pool.

While Tori was visiting Grandma and Poppie, she learned a new word...caaaaaat as she was entranced by thier two cats. This month she also started saying animal sounds for duck, cow, billy goat, pig (mostly she just laughs for this one because she thinks the snorting is funny), dog, and rooster (my favorite as it comes out as cock).

Other changes this month include taking only one nap from 12-2 0r 3 (I love having the whole morning free with her!) I am also so much more productive now that she is sleeping for a longer period of time (Maybe I will be better at doing updates now ;). On the other hand, her night sleep is still not regular and she still wakes up gnawing on her paci or with lots of gas and has a hard time getting back to sleep :( Tori's biggest trick this month is climbing. She climbs on the footstool and then onto the rocking chair as well as the footstool and onto the bed. We had to move the footstool away from the bed because she was climbing up on the bed so quickly.

At her 15 month checkup, Tori weighed 18 pounds 2 ounces (5th percentile) and was 30 1/2 inches long (25th percentile). Everything looked great, but the doctor was concerned by her still having some gas, irregular stools, and upset tummy (especially at night) and referred her to a GI specialist. We will keep you updated :)


Here are some 14 month pictures:

Ethel, Grandma, and Tori wearing her new hat from Great Pappa and Ethel.

All dressed up for church.

Daddy and Tori :)

Toweling off after fun in the pool!

Tori playing in the yard in her 4th of July attire as the family plays ladder ball.

Grandma entertaining Tori after a yummy seafood dinner. Tori is wearing her new squeeky shoes Grandma and Poppie got her. She loves them and dances around when she is in them.

Tori checking out the alligator at minigolf.

The whole gang. Mommy is the big winner :)

Tori's first sailing trip!!! She seemed to enjoy herself :)

Poppie offered Tori to steer, but she was too happy in Mommy's lap. Maybe next time.

Tori and her Japaneese friend half her age and twice her size at a Japaneese restaurant.

Tori posing with her new hat :)

Tori loved her food! Chicken and lots of veggies in a yummy sauce. I am going to have to work on my sauces :)